Birds can be pretty vicious it seems, especially when armed with long legs, powerful muscles with which to kick and sharp claws at the end of their toes.
Helmeted Guineafowl, fairly ubiquitous across Southern Africa, are certainly no exception, and although many people would be familiar with their 5am cackling, their aggressive side will generally go unseen.
Just outside camp we happened upon a pair involved in quite a scuffle. We presume they were both males, as females generally don’t get involved in intra-flock aggression. A hierarchical contest was most likely what was happening here.
We’ll let the photos take you through what happened (different editing techniques were used so there will be some inconsistency between the look of the photos)…
A lot of the actual physical contacts were brief, with a quick peck or scratch and then a breaking apart. Most of the contest looked like each bird was simply sizing up the other…
A lot of the time when one guineafowl looked like he was going to close in for a brawl, he would simply hop over his opponent instead…
Long claws did get employed though, and there was lots of scratching and kicking. It would not be out of the question for one of the combatants to lose an eye in an encounter like this.
Display formed the larger part of the interaction, with leaps and bounds most likely employed to advertise fitness.
…and then claws would come out again, slashing viciously.
One-on-one combat is as much about avoiding being hit as it is about hitting.
A rush from one guineafowl was often countered by a vertical leap from the other to get out of the way.
the male on the right seemed to be more on the receiving end. Look closely at his back and you can see where his feathers have been plucked by his rival…
And when all else fails, simply try to make yourself look as big as possible…
There was no clear winner after 10 minutes. Things simply simmered down, although that’s not to say it was a draw. It did look as though one male had taken more of a hammering, but the contest certainly didn’t seem to be as violent as it could have been. Male birds have been known to literally peck each other to death in territorial conflicts, but in this fight, I think one of the males must have realised pretty quickly he was outmatched, and eventually just submitted with good grace…
Wow! Stunning pictures. Amazing sighting.
What a great series of photos James. One could really witness the story , through your lens. Good to know it was more or less a draw, albeit one Guineafowl did exhibit a less aggressive stance.
Just goes to show there is action everywhere- not just involving the Big Five. 😊📷📷
Thanks Denise!
You always find something we’ve never seen before! Fascinating!
Exceptional series and told it’s own story! Always a scrimmage occurring somewhere in Londolozi!
Thanks Joanne!
Hi James. Very interesting indeed. The Roosters on my aunt’s farm (which is now Mabula Lodge) used to fight like this and I used to watch in fascination as a small child. The Turkey males did too. Your very good description brought back memories to me. Thank you, James. Very well written. Wendy M
I can’t work out if that would have been hilarious or scary to watch!!
You haven’t seen these birds chase each other! It’s HILARIOUS. They choose an oval usually and the one biRd simply chases the other. Round and around. And around. It’s like watching the 800m in athletics. And at the back of it all there’s some whey-faced, drab simpering little miss with a coy smile on her face, looking as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth…